Related Experiment Videos
Interactions between automatic postural adjustments and anticipatory postural patterns accompanying voluntary
1Department of Kinesiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506.
The International Journal of Neuroscience
|December 1, 1991
Summary
Central neural processes influence postural muscle activity. Anticipatory postural activity (APA) is often absent when platform perturbations occur just before voluntary arm movements, suggesting dynamic status impacts motor control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Motor Control
Background:
- Voluntary arm movements require coordinated postural adjustments.
- Anticipatory postural activity (APA) precedes voluntary movements.
- Compensatory postural activity (CPA) responds to external perturbations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine interactions between centrally initiated APA and CPA.
- To understand how these postural activities influence each other during voluntary arm movements and in response to support surface motion.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a bilateral reach and grasp task.
- A backward platform perturbation was introduced before, during, or after reach onset.
- Patterns of postural muscle activity were recorded and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Subject-specific APA was often absent when CPA was elicited just prior to movement onset.
- CPA patterns did not occur when they would have coincided with APA.
- These findings indicate an interaction and potential mutual exclusivity between APA and CPA.
Conclusions:
- Central neural processes governing postural muscle activation are influenced by both intended movement outcomes and the body's current dynamic state.
- The interplay between APA and CPA suggests a flexible motor control system that prioritizes stability and task execution.